America Living Large
By: Ray Doughty
Updated: June 30, 2010
Obesity rates increased in more than half the states last year according to an annual report from Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The new data compares the number of Americans who were obese last year to years past.
"In 1991 we didn't have a single state over 20% of obesity rates, and now most are over 25%," says Dr. Jeffrey Levi of Trust for America's Health.
The weight isn't divided equally.
The report shows African-Americans and Latinos are more likely to be obese, as are people who live in southern states.
How much money you make also plays a role.
The less you money you have, the more likely you are to be obese.
There are federal programs in place to combat obesity, including First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign, however, experts say there is much more to be done.
"We've taken the physical out of our lives, we're a very car-centric society, we haven't even built our communities to encourage walking and physical activity," Levi notes.
The report also found one in three children is either overweight or obese, but experts say there's actually a plus side to that "plus-sized" finding.
"Obesity rates are lower among kids than they are among adults, and if we can stem the tide among kids that will give us great hope for the future," Levi said.
Mississippi had the highest obesity rate for the sixth straight year at nearly 34 percent.
Colorado had the lowest and was the only state below 20 percent.
